Unit One Misunderstanding Teaching plan Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings Situation: Misunderstandings Pattern: Oral Task2: Capability of Expression Situation: A short play based on the text Pattern: Oral Task3: Apology.
Download ReportTranscript Unit One Misunderstanding Teaching plan Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings Situation: Misunderstandings Pattern: Oral Task2: Capability of Expression Situation: A short play based on the text Pattern: Oral Task3: Apology.
Slide 1
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
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Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 2
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 3
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 4
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 5
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 6
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 7
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 8
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 9
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 10
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
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●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
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●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
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Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
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Slide 11
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
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Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
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Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
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Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
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Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
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4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
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Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
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Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
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Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
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Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
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6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
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Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
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Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 12
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 13
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 14
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 15
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 16
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 17
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 18
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 19
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
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Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
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Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
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Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
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Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 20
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 21
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 22
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 23
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 24
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 25
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 26
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 27
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 28
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 29
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 30
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 31
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 32
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 33
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 34
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 35
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 36
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 37
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 38
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 39
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 40
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 41
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 42
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
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●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
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●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
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Slide 43
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
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Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
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Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
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Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
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4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
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Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
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Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
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Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
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Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
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6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
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Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
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Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 44
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 45
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 46
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 47
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 48
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 49
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 50
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 51
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
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Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
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Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
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Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
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Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 52
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 53
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 54
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 55
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 56
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 57
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 58
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 59
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 60
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 61
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 62
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 63
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 64
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 65
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 66
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 67
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 68
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 69
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 70
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 71
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 72
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 73
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 74
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
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●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
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●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
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Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
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Slide 75
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
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Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
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Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
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Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
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Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
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4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
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Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
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Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
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Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
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Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
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Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
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6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
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Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
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Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
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Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
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Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 76
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 77
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 78
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 79
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 80
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 81
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 82
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 83
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
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Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
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Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
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Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
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Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 84
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 85
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 86
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 87
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 88
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 89
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 90
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 91
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 92
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 93
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 94
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 95
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 96
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 97
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 98
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 99
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 100
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 101
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 102
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 103
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 104
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 2
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
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●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
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●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
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Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
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Slide 3
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
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Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
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Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
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Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
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Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
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Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
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4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
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Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
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Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
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Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
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Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
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Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
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Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
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Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
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Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
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6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
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Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
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Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
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Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
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Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
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Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 4
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 5
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 6
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 7
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 8
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 9
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 10
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 11
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
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Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
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Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
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Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
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Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 12
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 13
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 14
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 15
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 16
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 17
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 18
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 19
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 20
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 21
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 22
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 23
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 24
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 25
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 26
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 27
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 28
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 29
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 30
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 31
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 32
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 33
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 34
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
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●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
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●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
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Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
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Slide 35
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
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Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
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Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
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Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
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4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
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Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
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Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
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Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
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Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
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6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
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Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
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Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 36
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 37
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 38
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 39
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 40
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 41
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 42
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 43
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
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Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
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Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
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Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
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Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 44
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 45
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 46
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 47
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 48
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 49
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 50
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 51
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 52
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 53
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 54
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 55
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 56
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 57
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 58
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 59
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 60
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 61
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 62
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 63
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 64
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 65
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 66
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
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●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
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●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
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Slide 67
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
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Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
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Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
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Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
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Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
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4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
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Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
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Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
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Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
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Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
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6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
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Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
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Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
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Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
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Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
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Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 68
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 69
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 70
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 71
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 72
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 73
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 74
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 75
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
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Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
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Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
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Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
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Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 76
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 77
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 78
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 79
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 80
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 81
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 82
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 83
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 84
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 85
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 86
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 87
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 88
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 89
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 90
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 91
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 92
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 93
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 94
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 95
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 96
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 97
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 98
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
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●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
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●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
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Slide 99
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
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Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
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Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
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Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
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Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
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Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
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4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
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Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
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Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
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Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
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Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
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Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
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Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
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Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 100
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 101
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 102
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 103
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
BACK
NEXT
___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
NEXT
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
BACK
NEXT
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
NEXT
●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
NEXT
●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
NEXT
Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
NEXT
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
NEXT
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
NEXT
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
NEXT
You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
NEXT
Slide 104
Unit One
Misunderstanding
Teaching plan
Task1: Clarification of misunderstandings
Situation: Misunderstandings
Pattern: Oral
Task2: Capability of Expression
Situation: A short play based on the text
Pattern: Oral
Task3: Apology in an email
Situation: A quarrel with friends
Pattern: Writing
Background Information
English Language
Characteristics of English
BACK
English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken language in the
world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many
countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of
them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the
result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world.
Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New
Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to
their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at
least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia
Encyclopedia)
BACK
Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language.
Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The
traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The
most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and
verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.
English has fewer inflections than most other European languages.
An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive.
Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the
case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative
or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the 1998
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
NEXT
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Practical Writing
BACK
Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or
have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from
the spoken form or written form of the language that you use. Fill in
the following blanks with words or expressions that may cause
misunderstandings.
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
2. _________________________________
Oakland / Auckland
3. ___________________
BACK
NEXT
Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood when used in written form:
farther / father / further
1. ___________________
affect / effect
2. _______________
capital / capitol
3. _______________
NEXT
Text A
Misunderstanding
Author Unknown
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in
his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a bus and
N
headed straight for the restroom. He thought
that if he hid in
the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But
a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the
N
person in front of her on the shoulder and said, “There’s a
bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver.”
That passenger
tapped the person sitting in front of him. “Tell the bus driver
?
there’s a bum in the restroom,” he said.
1
NEXT
Text A
The message was passed from person to person until it
N
reached
the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way,
the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver,
it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but “There’s a
bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately pulled over to
the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the
police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus
N
and stay far away. Then they closed the highway.
That
soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a
dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course,
?
they
found no bomb.
2
NEXT
Text A
Two similar sounding English words also caused trouble for a man
who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles. He thought Nhe heard
his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and
got on the plane.
Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry.
N
N
Oakland was north of Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be
heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean. “Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight
attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
NEXT
Text A
Because so many English words sound similar,
4
N
misunderstandings among English speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunderstandings
N
result in highways
being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did
you say seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can
N
come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be
especially confusing for people who speak
?
second language.
English as a
NEXT
Text A
5
When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the world he
meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about
a plate? All day she wondered about her boss’s strange
question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At
five o’clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss
N
said, “Please be on time tomorrow.
You were 15 minutes late
this morning.” “Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….”
Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a plate?”
?
He
had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
NEXT
Text A
6
Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably
the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of
course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The man who traveled to
Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t feel like laughing. But even
that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline
paid for the man’s hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for
his flight back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I
always wanted to see New Zealand.”
?
(624 words)
BACK
misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
misunderstand //: vt. understand wrongly 误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T
对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
BACK
1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding English words
or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when she
saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding in the restroom.
BACK
Language Points
uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed as she hurried to
the hospital this morning.
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
T
comb //: 1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb 梳（头发等）
e.g.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
BACK
Language Points
cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and many other
metric
units of currency 分（为美元及其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；
e.g.
一分值的硬币
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
T
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
BACK
Language Points
get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
BACK
Language Points
head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
BACK
Language Points
restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public toilet in a hotel,
restaurant,
etc. ［美］（旅馆、餐馆等公共建筑物内的）
公用厕
所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
BACK
Language Points
… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
BACK
Language Points
tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow, esp. to attract
attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
T
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
T
英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
BACK
Language Points
That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these…
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题……
BACK
Language Points
bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by begging
［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
BACK
Language Points
bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
BACK
4) What was the original message the passengers were supposed to pass
and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the restroom,” but it turned
into “There is a bomb in the restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam resulted.
BACK
Language Points
The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
T
他们从早到晚努力工作。
BACK
Language Points
That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
BACK
Language Points
somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or known
在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
BACK
Language Points
by the time: 到…时候
e.g.
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.
T
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
BACK
Language Points
not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…
而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of
failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来自于对失败的恐惧。
BACK
Language Points
immediately //: ad. without delay; at once
立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
immediate //: a. done or needed at once and without
delay
e.g.
立即的，即刻的；紧迫的
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
BACK
Language Points
pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside
把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
BACK
Language Points
radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
BACK
Language Points
get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.
T
当我在海岸边的那座城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
BACK
Language Points
15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
BACK
Language Points
traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles along roads
and
streets, or aircraft in the sky
交通；通行，往来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
BACK
Language Points
jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so close together that
movement is difficult or impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to cross the bridge
yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
BACK
6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the announcement,
but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
BACK
Language Points
Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
BACK
Language Points
similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind; almost but not
exactly the same in nature or appearance
相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
BACK
Language Points
Los Angeles //: 洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港
市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It is the centre of
the American film industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
BACK
Language Points
airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and take off
机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
BACK
Language Points
flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or space; a
plane
making a particular journey 飞行；飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight .
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
BACK
Language Points
takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane,
spacecraft,
etc. rises from the ground
e.g.
（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
BACK
Language Points
Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of; 句中north是副词，不能有
冠词。同样，表示在东面、南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
BACK
Language Points
gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a way that can
be
heard, esp. because of surprise, shock, etc.
e.g.
（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒抽气
I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
BACK
Language Points
New Zealand / / : 新西兰（大洋洲国家）
e.g.
New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast
of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，位于太平洋南部。
BACK
Language Points
He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
BACK
Language Points
… and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能看到的一切”，在句
中作主语。
BACK
8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for misunderstandings to take place
among English speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language are more easily
confused.
BACK
Language Points
uncommon //: a. rare or unusual
罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g.
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
T
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
common //: a. found or happening often and in many places;
usual
e.g.
常见的；普通的；通常的
Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
BACK
Language Points
... misunderstandings among English speaking people are not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了一种更为肯定的意思。
BACK
Language Points
... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways 和 passengers
的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
BACK
Language Points
continent /n/: n. any of the seven main large masses of
land on
the Earth
(地球上的）洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
BACK
Language Points
seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
BACK
Language Points
seventeen //: n. the number
17
十七
e.g.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
BACK
Language Points
English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people whose native
language is not English but who live in a society in which English is the
main language or one of the main languages. It is often abbreviated to
ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中的人所学的英语。常缩略成
ESL。
BACK
10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself unable to understand
what her boss said.
BACK
Language Points
Korean // a. 朝鲜的；朝鲜人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜
语的
BACK
Language Points
the United States / / 美利坚合众国，美
国 (= the United States of America)
BACK
Language Points
wonder / /:
words
v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in
对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
BACK
Language Points
in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,
why, what, etc.
(用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
What in the world is he doing?
T
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?
T
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
BACK
Language Points
embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about
what people think of you 窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no money with him at all.
T
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed about it.
T
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
BACK
NEXT
Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious and
uncomfortable,
e.g.
esp. in a social situation 使窘迫,使尴尬
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
T
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me questions I couldn’t
answer.
T
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.
T
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
T
别担心，她会准时的。
BACK
Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T
公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T
桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres high off the coast.
T
暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
BACK
11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among English
speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
BACK
Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
T
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
T
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.
T
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
BACK
Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
T
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
BACK
Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health
or spirits; well
令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
T
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.
T
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
BACK
Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service for carrying
passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are controlled by only two
national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
BACK
Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
BACK
Language Points
California //
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
BACK
Language Points
Auckland /d/
奥克兰 （新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
BACK
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
BACK
Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned them by heart.
Because
so
many
English
words
sound
similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not
uncommon. Not all misunder-standings result in highways being
closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most
misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people
speaking English ask one another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for
people who speak English as a second language.
BACK
Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head straight
for the restroom when he got on the bus?
3. What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do when
she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
4. What was the original message the passengers were supposed to
pass and what had it turned into when it reached the driver?
5. What was the result of the wrong message?
6. Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where did he
7. arrive?
What was the cause of his mistake?
BACK
NEXT
8.
9.
10.
11.
According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings take place
among English-speaking people?
Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding English words?
Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her boss’s question?
What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings arise among
English-speaking people, according to the writer?
Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those described by
the writer of the text? Are there similar misunderstandings among
Chinese-speaking people? Tell the story/stories that you know to
your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后果) of
misunderstandings caused by confusing words or expressions?
BACK
Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Ⅰ
Topic
Misunderstandings may occur
among native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
1
Supporting Details
A passenger wanted to tell the
driver ___________________
that there was a bum in
___________.
the restroom
2
The change of the word “bum”
into “bomb” caused a 15
milelong ________
traffic jam .
3
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to Auckland
he failed to get the
because __________________
meaning correctly .
_______________
BACK
NEXT
Part
Ⅱ
Topic
Non-native
English
speakers
________
are
more
___________
often
affected .
Paragraph
4
5
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among English
-speaking people are common,
but they occur _______________
more frequently
among non-native English
__________________________
speakers .
________
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
________________________
between “a plate” and “up late”
made her wonder about her
boss’s question all day.
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___________________
Part
Ⅲ
Topic
What should
people do ______
when
_______________
misunderstandings
_____
occur ?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings caused
by similar-sounding words is
probably just laugh and learn
_________________________
______________
from the mistake .
BACK
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the forms where
necessary.
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500__________
passengers were injured in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew __________
immediately that something was
wrong.
_____
similar
3. These two Chinese words look quite
, but they are opposite in
______
wonder
meaning.
continent
4. I haven’t seen Mary________
in years. I
what she looks like now.
5. Asia is the largest
_____
traffic
in both size and population.
6. On streets and highways, a red
green
light tells them to go.
light tells drivers to stop and a
BACK
NEXT
Common continent embarrass flight immediately misunderstanding
passenger search serious
similar traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different countries can
sometimes
lead to
.
misunderstandings
_______________
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________
embarrassed
about it.
9. Because of the bad weather, most
have been cancelled (取消)
_____
flights
today.
10.
_______
common
Earthquakes (地震) are
in this part of the world.
11.
Traffic police in Shanghai are again
warning that overloaded vehicles
serious
______
(超载车辆) are dangerous and can cause
accidents.
12.
________
searched
Police have
the area for about two days, but so far have found
nothing.
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Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below. Change the forms
where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1.I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the train was
almost full by the time I _____
got on.
Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy to leave
2.
his office and
_______
head for the airport to enjoy his holiday.
You
should
have
seen
Boris’s ______
face
when
Max
tapped
on
the shoulder
3.
____________
him
.
How surprised he was at that moment!
4.
When a _______
policeman
saw the bus driver running a red light, he called
pull
over
to him to
and walked towards the bus.
NEXT
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
5. His poor English hasresulted
_________
in misunderstandings between him and
his American boss.
feel
______
like a walk along the mountain path?
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
7. __________
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that things were
_____________
going
.
turntoout all right
9. At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for our holiday,
________
in
the end
but
we decided to take George’s suggestion and went to the
seaside again.
________
instead of
10.
I can’t understand why they chose him
you — you can do the
job much better than he.
BACK
Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt embarrassed.
→She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active because I was very tired.
By
the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
__________________________________________________________
2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their family cannot tell
them apart from each other.
__________________________________________________________
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their family to tell them
apart
from each other.
__________________________________________________________
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3. What in the world does mm( 美 眉 ) stand for? I cannot understand the
abbreviations (缩写词) that people use on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because
they are really confusing.
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations that people use
__________________________________________________________
on
the BBS are too confusing for me to understand.
__________________________________________________________
4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do not make the effort
to go to the cinema.
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to make the effort to
__________________________________________________________
go
to the cinema.
__________________________________________________________
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not decide on the correct
choice because she had very little time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test gave her too
__________________________________________________________
little
time to decide on the correct choice.
__________________________________________________________
NEXT
Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction “until” and the
words given in brackets. Add some words or change the forms of the
words given where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
until
I have really learnt the basics of the language
1. I plan to keep studying
________________________________________
English
. (the basics, I learn,
really, the language)
2.
until
___________________
the end of the book
I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
crying
. (the book, the end)
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3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s better if you wait.
until they have finished their speeches (they, speech, finish)
_______________________________.
until my teacher
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing words _____________
explained them in class with several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_____________________________________
my teacher, in class)
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith ________________________________.
until I saw Sam Ward leave the building
(I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not stopping
until
___________________
he got on a city bus. (a city bus, get on, he)
BACK
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to wait at the airport
__________________________________________________________
until
midnight when the snow stopped.
__________________________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一辆开往杭州，而不是他们
的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys found that they had
__________________________________________________________
got
on a train heading for Hangzhou instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
__________________________________________________________
3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in misunderstandings among
__________________________________________________________
English-speaking
people.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
NEXT
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，于是他马上靠边停车检查，
但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car engine, so he pulled
__________________________________________________________
over
immediately to check, but it turned out all right in the end.
__________________________________________________________
5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言的人群中常见的错误时，
他感到很尴尬。
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that he had made a very
__________________________________________________________
common
mistake among speakers of English as a second language.
__________________________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could learn it quickly, but
__________________________________________________________
soon
found it was too difficult for her to learn in a short period of time.
__________________________________________________________
BACK
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up?
Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to
invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting
or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an
effective invitation.
Guidelines for writing invitations:
● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a
map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any
charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If
there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
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●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply
card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll)
except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people
can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or
needed. Explain that your guests
presence is the only gift you
need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries,
you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance
(especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will
allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations,
save money, etc.
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●
●
For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests
from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’
notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation
should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals,
and
transportation;
* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and
addresses
where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the NEXT
meeting or conference.
1. How to start your letter:
You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.
●It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).
●
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing
●
and telecommunications products.
●
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our
association at their monthly dinner meeting?
●
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:
We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to
introduce .
●
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal
Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
●
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●
●
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at(time) on (date).
3. How to end your letter:
●
We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
●
We hope you will be able to attend.
●
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
●
We are looking forward to seeing you.
●
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for
●
you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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Read the invitations below and answer the questions that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的缩写，相当于：Reply, if you
please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意为“电话分机，分机号
码”。)
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1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Nanjing Technical
College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
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Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the
occasion of his retirement from McMillan Investment
Company. The reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on
Wednesday, May 12, 2004. Our department will be presenting
Mr. David Brown with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
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5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from McMillan Investment
Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday,
June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at
about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my house
on Sunday, June 27. The party will start immediately after
our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00. Your parents and
friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
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